Comedian Bob Mortimer has criticised the amount of prominent Oxbridge alumni
in the broadcasting and entertainment industries

Bob Mortimer, known for his work with Vic Reeves, has questioned the disproportionate amount of Oxbridge-educated people working as entertainers and broadcasters, dismissing some as "not so funny".

Mortimer, who co-hosted surreal panel show Shooting Stars with Reeves, told The Times: "I sometimes wonder, with the Oxbridge comics, the broadcasters seem to say, at some point, now I trust you to do a documentary, you can be the voice for a maths show, or whatever. I don't think we're ever considered in that way."

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Many famous comedians have made their names after becoming involved with the Cambridge Footlights, a student comedy troupe. John Cleese and Eric Idle, who later went on to form Monty Python with Oxford students Michael Palin and Terry Jones, were members as were David Mitchell and Olivia Colman, who starred in Peep Show. Sue Perkins, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who have gone on to have presenting and acting careers, were also Footlights members.

Comedy duo Stewart Lee and Richard Herring both attended Oxford with Al Murray, who plays 'The Pub Landlord' character as part of his stand-up routine.

Mortimer studied law at Sussex and Leicester universities, and Reeves did an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering. Matt Lucas and David Walliams, who created Little Britain and have had careers in broadcasting - notably Walliams who judges Britain's Got Talent - met at Bristol University.